Hoteliers on Cerf Island bring forth their challenges |31 July 2015

The owners and management teams of the six small hotels on Cerf Island have raised the challenges they face in the tourism industry.

They did so during a visit the Minister for Tourism and Culture Alain St Ange carried out to their establishments recently. The minister was accompanied by the principal secretary for tourism Anne Lafortune and the chief executive of the Seychelles Tourism Board Sherin Naiken.

The establishments visited are L’Habitation des Cerf, Fairy Tern, Villa des Cerfs, Cerf Tropical Sanctuary, Cerf Island Resort and South Point Villa Cerf.

The delegation also visited one establishment which is still under construction.

Speaking to the hoteliers there, Minister St Ange and his delegation learned of the many challenges faced by these small hotels.

The two most common concerns raised were the shortage of staff and coastal erosion.

The minister made it clear that this was not an inspection visit but rather a familiarisation exercise, one during which he gets to view each and every tourism establishment first hand, to witness their successes and deficiencies, to meet the hotel staff to find out their challenges and working conditions.

At the L’Habitation des Cerf, which is a small hotel comprising 12 rooms, the delegation were greeted by the managing director Dominic Horner taken on a guided tour of all departments.

During his visit, Minister St Ange had the opportunity to speak to various members of the staff from all departments who readily shared their work experience, achievements.

Mr Horner said the establishment’s main concern is getting Seychellois people to work on an island.

“The establishment employs 18 staff, mostly Seychellois people, but we still lack staff. It is really hard getting Seychellois workers to work on an island,” he said.

From there, the ministerial delegation went to Fairy Tern, a self-catering establishment comprising only two rooms. They were met by general manager Kevin Horner and his wife Wendy Horner who took them on a small guided tour.

Fairy Tern, which employs only one Seychellois staff, opened in 2006. The problem of getting Seychellois workers to work on the island was also raised there.

After touring the Fairy Tern, Minister St Ange and his delegation walked on to Villa des Cerfs, a bed and breakfast guesthouse, where they were met by Charlie Marzocchi.  The owner of the four-room guesthouse cited noise from the nearby wind turbines and coastal erosion as his two main concerns.

Mr Marzocchi has invested quite a sum in trying to curb erosion in front of his property.

Since five years back, he had to put sandbags along the coast in front of Villa de Cerf but over the years, these have not served much of their purpose as the beach is still being eroded.

The sandbags have now become an eyesore for those visiting this beautiful villa.

Mr Marzocchi said his aim is to now venture into rock armouring as some neighbouring hotels have done.

Mr St Ange said he wasn’t aware that Cerf Island faces serious erosion problems that need urgent attention.

The fourth stage of the delegation’s visit was at the Cerf Tropical Sanctuary, a self-catering establishment comprising seven rooms and managed by Rita Panayi. That establishment, which employs three staff, also faces erosion problems like Villa des Cerfs.

Later in the afternoon Minister St Ange and his delegation visited the Cerf Island Resort where they were met by the general manager Thomas Ickert and his wife Jana.

The delegation met and interacted with some hotel staff in the canteen area. The minister expressed his total satisfaction with the management and staff for the good work that is being done.

He noted that Cerf Island is as good as it is because of its workers as they are its backbone.

He also elaborated on the need for hotel managers to employ more Seychellois workers in their establishments because that is what will differentiate us from other destinations.

“Cerf Island doesn’t stand by itself. It is part of Seychelles. This is why all establishments on Cerf Island should work together and create that relationship between establishments,” the minister said.

He added that the island’s main problem is finding workers willing to cross the sea everyday to come to work.

Another one of his concerns is the danger created by speeding boats in the Cerf Island bay for tourists swimming or snorkelling in the area.

The last hotel the delegation visited was the South Point Villa Cerf managed by Michel Estico. The establishment comprises six rooms.

The accompanying photographs show the minister and his delegation on their visit to some of the establishments on Cerf Island.